


One Part Perlite, Two Parts Sand

by FridayMorning



Series: Give Them a Reason [3]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Character Development, Developing Friendships, Gardens & Gardening, Meditation, Perfuma can be passive-aggressive, Plants, Post-Canon, Self Confidence Issues, Swearing, Therapy, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24706627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FridayMorning/pseuds/FridayMorning
Summary: Catra opened the door and immediately understood why this room had been converted into a garden. The walls and ceiling were mostly glass with a gold frame structure holding everything together, allowing more sunlight than she had ever seen in the Fright Zone to light it naturally The floor was covered with pots and planters of various sizes, all containing a variety of flowers and herbs that Catra could not begin to name. Many were dead or dying from the weeks of neglect, and the air was tinged with the scent of decaying plant matter. Catra wrinkled her nose.Perfuma’s bright blonde hair stood out against all the greenery. Not far away she was kneeling beside a bonsai tree. She poured a vial of mysterious nutrients into the soil, then turned to greet her new assistant. “Catra! It’s so nice to see you!”ORWith Shadow Weaver gone, Perfuma offers to temporarily care for the greenhouse and Adora volunteers Catra to help her.OREveryone loves the idea of Perfuma teaching Catra to meditate, and I project my guilt about accidentally killing one of my plants.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Catra & Perfuma (She-Ra)
Series: Give Them a Reason [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1784470
Comments: 14
Kudos: 223





	One Part Perlite, Two Parts Sand

“Do you remember the indoor garden where Shadow Weaver grew all of her magical plants?” Adora dropped the question without pausing in her rhythm of brushing Catra’s hair.

Catra tensed at the name. She turned to look at her girlfriend. They sat on Catra’s bed with Adora sitting behind her so she could style her hair. Ever since the bath with Mermista, Adora had been dedicated to making sure Catra’s hair never became that tangled again. Normally Catra loved letting her girlfriend pamper her, but this time she sensed Adora had something else on her mind.

Cautiously she replied, “Yeah, I think you mentioned it to me before, why?”

Adora bolstered her earnest exterior. She pushed her shoulders back and spoke brightly, “Well, for the past few weeks it has been pretty neglected, so there are weeds and bugs running amok. Perfuma found out and offered to help get it back under control, and I thought-”

Catra’s ear twitched. “Oh no, no way princess. You thought you could volunteer me as an assistant for one of your little friends and initiate some bonding time? Not gonna happen. I’m still worn out from convincing Mermista that she shouldn’t drown me.”

Adora gave her girlfriend a weak smile. Catra groaned.

“You already told her I agreed, didn’t you?”

Adora averted her gray-blue eyes and nodded, and Catra simultaneously loved and hated her sheepishness. “Please, Catra?”

She sighed. Catra cupped Adora’s face, encouraging eye contact. _Wow, her skin is soft. Is that a She-Ra thing or an Adora thing?_ She absentmindedly stroked Adora’s cheek with her thumb, then snapped out of her daze and felt the corner of her mouth quirk upward. “You are so, so lucky I love you.”

Adora beamed. “I love you, too.”

As Adora leaned in to kiss her Catra thought, _It almost makes dealing with the rest of them worth it._

. . . .

The walk to the castle’s greenhouse filled Catra with dread. Although Mermista’s excessive sarcasm could be irritating, at least she did not hide her emotions and opinions. Perfuma’s overly friendly natural personality made it hard for Catra to sense her true thoughts and feelings.

Catra opened the door and immediately understood why this room had been converted into a garden. The walls and ceiling were mostly glass with a gold frame structure holding everything together, allowing more sunlight than she had ever seen in the Fright Zone to light it naturally. The floor was covered with pots and planters of various sizes, all containing a variety of flowers and herbs that Catra could not begin to name. Many were dead or dying from the weeks of neglect, and the air was tinged with the scent of decaying plant matter. Catra wrinkled her nose.

Perfuma’s bright blonde hair stood out against all the greenery. Not far away she was kneeling beside a bonsai tree. She poured a vial of mysterious nutrients into the soil, then turned to greet her new assistant. “Catra! It’s so nice to see you!”

For a moment Catra bordered on telling her to ‘cut the crap’ the same way she had snapped at Bow not long ago, but she knew it would not have the same effect. Catra steeled herself and shut the door.

“Hi, Perfuma.” ‘Hey’ was reserved for Adora alone. The light coat hair on the back of her neck and arms prickled. Although the princess exuded friendliness, Catra sensed an underlying tension.

Perfuma stood and brushed the dirt off her pink dress. “When I told Adora this job has been a little overwhelming, I was surprised when she said you would volunteer. I haven’t seen you in weeks, I assumed you were very busy.” Catra’s tail flicked. Perfuma looked up and smiled again. “I can assure you, this is equally as important as whatever you were working on before. I need someone to replant these poor succulents. They must have outgrown their pots weeks ago.” She handed Catra a pair of green canvas gardening gloves. “This way.” She stepped between two overgrown ferns that lifted their fronds for her to pass.

When Catra attempted to follow, the branches came down with a leafy _thwack_. She grit her teeth and kept her claws sheathed, no matter how easy it would have been to shred them. Stepping out into a sunnier area, she saw Perfuma by a row of ankle-high clay pots containing pale green succulents that had grown in a twisted fashion until they almost reached half-way up her shin.

“They overextend themselves like this when they are not receiving enough direct sunlight,” Perfuma explained. She shook her head to herself as if it was a great tragedy. “I moved them here so they will regain healthier coloring, but that does not change the space problem.”

Catra noticed the row of larger empty clay pots and a few different bags of soil nearby. “And all I’m doing is moving them from one pot to another?”

Perfuma nodded. “I left you a list of tips. Follow them, and the succulents will be in the peak of health in no time.”

Catra flicked her ear. The task seemed suspiciously easy, if a little time consuming. “Alright. I’ll… get to it, I guess.” _The sooner I finish, the sooner I can go back to my room._

The princess clapped her hands, delighted. “Wonderful! I’ll check on you in a little bit. There are some echinacea that need my love for the time being.” She turned and disappeared back through the ferns.

Catra turned back to the succulents. She kneeled and picked up the paper that Perfuma had left for her. _How hard can it be?_ she thought. Then she began to read it. Catra furrowed her eyebrows.

“First add a thin layer of gravel to the bottom of the pot. Then add one part perlite, two parts sand, two parts black soil. What?” Catra had never heard of some of those substances before and had no idea how to apply those measurements in a practical sense. She set down the paper and sighed. As long as the bags had labels on them, she could make an attempt.

She combined what she guessed were the appropriate amounts of each potting mixture, then moved onto removing the first succulent from its undersized pot. “This has to be easier, there’s no math involved.” Catra felt clumsy with the gloves on. She carefully pushed the soil aside and tried to lift the succulent out. It did not want to cooperate. Catra lightly shook the pot, loosening some dirt but not the plant. She pulled harder. The delicate roots that had been clinging to the sides of the pot tore. Unused to wearing thick gloves, she lost her grip and the pot cracked upon impact with the floor.

“Shit.” Catra stared at the mangled plant whose chance of survival was rapidly declining. _Once I replant it, no one will see the damage._ She tried to fit the succulent into the larger pot and realized she had added too much potting mixture. There was no room for the plant. Face now red, she stuffed the plant in with a screwing motion that resembled changing a lightbulb, spraying dirt all over her clothes and the floor.

“Catra?” She froze and dared not turn and risk seeing Perfuma’s expression. She listened to the princess walk over and crouch beside her. Her hair prickled again. Catra fixed her gaze on the succulent she had thoroughly abused. One of the leaves had been bent in the transition and hung from the main stem by a few green threads.

Perfuma took several deep breaths. “Put down Frosta for a minute, please.” Catra blinked, but did as she was told. Perfuma set a hand on her shoulder, and she tensed. The hand was removed instantly. “I’m sorry, I should have asked first. Catra… can you tell me what happened here?”

She grit her teeth. “I- the soil and the roots- I mean the measurements- I-” Her head hurt. “I didn’t understand your stupid instructions! They were confusing on purpose, you- you set me up to fail!” She stood up straight and tore off her gloves, throwing them to the floor.

Perfuma met her accusations with an open and unassuming expression. Far from looking offended, she seemed deep in contemplation and even a little apologetic. She straightened and waved her hands as if playing a strange and invisible instrument. Green tendrils sprouted from a few of the healthier neighboring plants and cleaned up the spilled dirt and terracotta shards, pushing them into a neat pile. Once that was taken care of, Perfuma nodded to herself and faced Catra again. “First, let’s put all this negative energy behind us.” She closed her eyes and began to move her arms in slow circles, as if pushing the air behind her. She cracked an eye open. “You too,” she said before resuming the motions.

Catra watched her for a few seconds. Feeling like an idiot, she closed her eyes as well began to mimic her.

“Very good.” Perfuma wore a smile when Catra opened her eyes again. “Now, ground yourself with me.” She sat down with her legs crossed in front of her.

Catra lowered herself to the floor. Her gaze flickered to the pile of dirt and broken shards.

“Focus on the present, not past,” Perfuma said gently. “Let’s clear our minds with some controlled breathing.” She placed her palms together and inhaled deeply, held the breath for a few seconds, and released it. In Catra’s humble opinion, she looked absurd.

 _The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can finish my job here and wait in my room for Adora._ She forced herself to follow the princesses’s example. Strangely enough, after several breaths she felt her heart rate slow.

“Now, repeat after me: I am worth more than my mistakes.”

Catra bristled and jumped to her feet. “I don’t need your positive thinking pity party bullshit.”

Perfuma frowned, and Catra suddenly knew she was getting soft because that stupid little frown made her genuinely regret her words, not just fear the repercussions like she had every time she spoke out of turn in the Horde. _When did this happen? With Mermista? Bow? Adora?_ The last culprit seemed to be the most probable.

“You’re not the first to question my methods,” Perfuma began, “and I understand that meditation and positive affirmations might not work as well for everyone as they do for me. I believe that everyone should try it at least once, though. Can you do that for me?”

Catra bit the inside of her cheek. She sat down again and her tail twitched. “Alright.”

Perfuma smiled. “I am worth more than my mistakes.”

“I…” The words stuck in her throat. Catra swallowed. “I am worth more than my mistakes.”

“This setback does not take away from all the progress I have made.”

“This setback does not take away from all the progress I have made.”

“And I deserve forgiveness and love both from others and myself,” Perfuma continued. Catra suspected that this was about more than the succulent.

“And I…” Her throat constricted again.

Perfuma held out her hand. Hesitantly, Catra took it. Perfuma smiled. “I can choose to restart my day at any time, I do not need to wait until tomorrow. Every second is another chance,” she finished, letting Catra absorb her words rather than repeat them. She squeezed once, then let go and clapped her hands together. “Okay! Now let’s try again together. I should have given you a demonstration to begin with instead of just leaving.” 

To Catra’s amazement Perfuma picked up another small pot with an overgrown succulent and began to narrate her actions. Catra tentatively pulled her gloves back on and followed her example. They worked side by side as a team, and after a few attempts Catra memorized all the steps and could do it without even glancing at Perfuma.

“Wonderful! That went much faster than it would have if I was alone,” Perfuma said. Considering how the princess’s power was rooted in nature Catra doubted it, but the praise made her feel warm inside regardless.

She looked at her first attempt and bit the inside of her cheek. Only a few months ago she would not have spared an iota of emotion for a plant of all things, but now her stomach twisted at the thought of ruining yet another life. “I… Will that one make it? Its roots are kind of, um…”

Perfuma nodded. “Frosta will be fine. Many succulents survive even after needing to regrow all of their roots. They’re very hardy.” She reached out and gently touched one of its leaves. The plant instantly looked a little healthier. “That’s why I’ve elected to rename them after my- our friends. Although based on what Adora told me, the caretaker before me was not the type of person to name her plants.”

Catra struggled to clear the fog away from her brain. _Our?_ She forced a chuckle. “Yeah, Adora and I are lucky old Shadow Weaver cared enough to name _us._ ”

Perfuma smiled in a sympathetic way that did not reflect Catra’s bitter humor.

Catra cleared her throat. “So, all the princesses are represented here in plant form?”

“Yes, and Bow, Sea Hawk, and Swift Wind. And one is named after you, too. Would you like me point it out?”

She blinked. “Uh, sure.”

Perfuma led her to a succulent with waxy rounded leaves. “This one is known as a jade plant.”

“Oh.” Catra resisted the urge to touch it and risk causing further damage. The plant had been forced to fend for itself for weeks before being suddenly moved to a new home; it had dealt with enough unpleasantness already. _We both have._ “That’s… cool.”

Perfuma’s smile widened. “I’m glad you like it. Now I think it is time for a lunch break, don’t you?”

As if on cue, her stomach growled. Catra fought off embarrassment. “Sure.”

This time the ferns parted for both of them as they passed through. In the back of her mind Catra wondered if perhaps the first incident had not been an accident. Perfuma spared her a quick glance, but it was long enough for Catra to see the sheepishness in her dark green eyes. Surprisingly, all Catra felt was amusement at the revelation that the princess was indeed capable of being passive aggressive. Something told her it would not happen again, though.

Catra paused by the doors. “Perfuma?”

She turned and looked almost expectant.

“You do those affirmation things every morning?” Catra waited to receive a nod before continuing. “Could I- I mean, is it alright if sometime I-”

“I always welcome company,” Perfuma said with a gentle smile. “We all deserve to remember the good truths about ourselves. I do meditation and yoga as well.”

Catra held eye contact. “That sounds, uh, fun.”

There was a twinkle in her eye. “I think so, too.” Perfuma offered her hand again.

Catra accepted it, and let the princess lead them onward.


End file.
